How much does skip hire cost in the UK?
A skip hire costs £90 to £380 in the UK, typically around £220 per skip, per week. Prices reviewed June 2026.
Most home skip hire runs from about £90 for a small skip in a cheaper region up to £380 for a large builders skip in the South East, with £220 a fair typical figure for a week's hire. A council permit adds £30 to £90 if the skip goes on the road rather than your drive.
Price your skip hire
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Skip hire cost breakdown
What a skip hire typically costs, by option:
| Skip size | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Mini skip (2 to 3 cubic yards) | £70 to £130 |
| Midi skip (4 to 5 cubic yards) | £110 to £190 |
| Builders skip (6 to 8 cubic yards) | £200 to £320 |
| Maxi skip (10 to 12 cubic yards) | £300 to £450 |
| + Council permit (skip on the road) | add £30 to £90 |
What's included in the price?
A typical skip hire price includes:
- Delivery and collection of the skip
- Disposal and recycling of the waste inside
- A set hire period, usually one to two weeks
- Standard mixed general waste (bricks, wood, garden, household)
- Loading to the fill line, level with the top edge
- Waste transfer paperwork for your records
What changes the price?
The things that move a skip hire price most:
Skip size in cubic yards, from a 2 yard mini to a 12 yard maxi
Your region, with London and the South East dearest and the North, Wales and Scotland cheapest
Whether the skip sits on your drive or needs a council road permit
The type of waste, since soil, rubble and plasterboard can carry extra charges or need separate skips
Hire length and how quickly you need delivery and collection
How the price is built up
The quoted price bundles delivery, the hire period, collection and the cost of tipping and recycling the waste, which is why bigger skips cost more to empty. Region drives much of the gap, since disposal gate fees and haulage are dearer in and around London. A road permit, extra weight allowance for soil or rubble, or an exchange when a skip fills early are the usual add-ons on top of the base rate. Skip hire is a waste service rather than a trade, so the price is delivery, collection and disposal in one flat fee, not separate labour and materials.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Keep the skip on your drive if you can, since that avoids a council permit worth £30 to £90.
- Do not over-order. A midi skip you fill beats a builders skip half empty, and the smaller size costs a good deal less.
- Get two or three local quotes, as prices for the same size vary widely between firms and regions.
- Separate heavy soil and rubble, since a dedicated smaller skip or grab hire often works out cheaper than paying overweight charges on a mixed load.
Does where you live change the cost?
London and the South East sit at the top of every size band, while the North, Wales and Scotland are typically the cheapest.
Common questions
Skip hire costs around £90 to £380 for a week, depending mainly on size and region. A small 2 to 3 yard mini skip is roughly £70 to £130, a 4 to 5 yard midi about £110 to £190, and a 6 to 8 yard builders skip £200 to £320. A typical home job lands near £220. Add £30 to £90 for a council permit if the skip goes on the road.
Skip size is measured in cubic yards. A mini 2 to 3 yard holds roughly 25 to 35 bin bags, a midi 4 to 5 yard around 40 to 50 bags, a builders 6 to 8 yard about 60 to 80 bags, and a maxi 10 to 12 yard up to 120 bags. As a rough guide, one cubic yard is roughly 8 to 10 loaded wheelbarrows, so match the skip to how much you actually expect to clear.
A permit is needed whenever the skip stands on a public road or pavement rather than your own drive or garden. Councils charge roughly £30 to £90 for one to two weeks, and the fee is higher in city centres. The skip firm normally arranges the permit for you and adds it to the bill. A skip kept entirely on private land needs no permit at all.
Skips take general mixed waste but exclude several items. Fridges, freezers, mattresses and tyres usually carry an extra fee or must go separately. Plasterboard cannot be mixed with general waste and needs its own container, so keep it apart. Paint, oils, solvents, gas canisters, batteries and asbestos are banned outright as hazardous waste and must be disposed of through proper channels.
Builders skips, the 6 to 8 yard sizes used for renovation and building waste, cost about £200 to £320 for a week in most of the country. In London and the South East an 8 yard skip can reach £350 or more, while a smaller town in the North or Midlands may be nearer £220. An 8 yard skip is also the largest that can legally sit on a public road with a permit.
Cheaper options exist for smaller or heavier loads. A tip run in your own car or a hired van can clear a modest amount for the price of fuel. Grab hire, where a lorry scoops the waste, suits heavy soil and rubble and often costs less per tonne. Wait and load, where the lorry stays while you fill it, avoids a road permit entirely. Compare a couple of quotes first.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.